Show Date: 20 Jul 10
Blossom end rot is the bane of tomato growers.  It happens due to calcium deficiency and poor watering practices.

Blossom end rot

When tomatoes are allowed to wallow in water and then dry out and then wallow and dry out time after time, they most likely WILL develop blossom end rot.  Calcium Foliar sprays will help subsequent fruit.  If your tomatoes already have blossom end rot, there’s nothing that can help them.

Fact Sheet on Blossom End Rot [Cornell University]

Lighten up on the nitrogen fertilizer.  In fact, fertilize BEFORE you plant with a 5-10-10.  The first number is N – nitrogen, the second number is P – phosophorus and the third number is K – potassium.

Show Date: 24 Aug 09 
This years strange weather has slowed the harvest of our tomatoes but they’re comin’ on now!  ‘Black Krim’ is a wonderful heirloom with great flavor and very prolific.  This one’s a big guy so give him room. 

'Black Krim' tomato

Pay no attention to those dead spots, some of the branches got so heavy they bent and broke.  

'Yellow Pear'

‘Yellow Pear’ will not be a tomato I plant again.  It’s enormous and very prolific but the texture leaves something to be desired for me. 

It’s an almost mealy texture although the flavor is good.  I’ve found that drying them is a great option for me.

Show Date: 21 Jul 09

Blossom-end rot is the most typical issue we see with tomatoes.

It’s a calcium deficiency that creates that caved in rot on the blossom end of your tomatoes.  It can happen when there’s wide fluctuations in watering and/or excessive nitrogen fertilizing. 

Mulch your tomatoes with weed-free straw or shredded leaves to maintain moisture levels.  Plants in containers need to be watched more carefully as they can’t hold moisture.  Add a nitrogen fertilizer a couple of weeks BEFORE you plant. 
Leave at least 4 feet of room between your tomato plants.  Air flow around your plants will help with humid conditions which can interrupt a plants ability to take up nutrients. 

You can use foliar sprays to prevent blossom-end rot but it won’t save tomatoes that already have it. 

Show Date: 18 Jun 09

Kids are outta school and already they’ve spent hours sitting in front of some electronic device. Let’s get them dirty! Create a 6 foot diameter circle for a pizza garden!

Pizza garden chart.

Plant wedges of basil, oregano, parsley, onions (long-day variety for our climate), peppers and tomatoes. I would suggest a couple of types of peppers, maybe a mild chili pepper and a bell pepper. Try a grape tomato like ‘Yellow Pear’ for some other color and a cherry tomato like ‘Sweet 100.’

Little kids like the ‘Cuke in a Bottle.’ Choose an immature fruit on your cucumber plant and put a soda bottle over it. Be sure to poke holes in the bottle so you don’t fry the little cuke while it grows inside.

Show Date: 29 May 09

A great weekend for planting your tomatoes and peppers! If you’re new at this, then I suggest you plant in rows and follow the packet directions. The reason you plant in rows is so you’ll have an easier time identifying the weeds from the sprouted plants!

All veggies need full sun, that means a minimum of 6-hours of direct sunlight. Tomatoes, peppers and most herbs prefer 8-hours. ‘Honey Bear’ is a nice size squash you can grow in a large container. I’m trying ‘Sweet Olive’ grape tomato this year in a container. It’s supposed to be crack-free! Wahoo.

Once your seeds have sprouted, your plants are situated, then the rule of thumb is one inch of water a week. Either Mother Nature or you! Please feel free to email me with any questions you have:

Show Date: 20 May 09

… that’s a traditional planting weekend for many northern gardeners. Tomatoes can be planted now but keep the sheet handy to cover them up!! Tomatoes are one of the VERY few plants that like to be planted deep. They will grow roots from any point that touches the soil.

If you have transplants that are getting leggy, plant them deep for a sturdier plant. This year I’m trying a couple of different varieties. The ‘Yellow Pear’ which is an heirloom variety that’s supposed to be very good in salads and ‘Sweet Olive’ a small grape tomato known for not cracking. I’m going to try ‘Sweet Olive’ in a container this year.

Yellow pear tomato